Berlin is a fantastic city break destination with enough vibrant neighborhoods, exciting restaurants and cultural activities to keep you busy for months, much less a weekend.

One of it’s best features is that there is truly something for everyone, including three wonderful cat cafes.

Located in the south, east and west ends of town, it may take a bit of travel time to reach them, but that’s part of the adventure, and besides, what does an extra trip on the U-Bahn matter when kitties are involved?

Funny Name, Great Place: Pee Pees Katzencafe

Pee Pees is well known in cat cafe circles as it was Berlin’s first and of course, the name alone makes it quite memorable. As such, it has made more than one mainstream media ‘Best Cat Cafes’ list.

I knew I was in the right place when we walked and saw a sleeping cat in a baby push chair. Navigating through the cute and cozy space, it was crowded being a Saturday afternoon, but we were promptly greeted by the friendly staff who spoke to us in English (Danke Schön!). We ordered two lattes and split a slice of apple tart, all of which were delicious.

But I was here for the cats, famed residents Pelle and Caruso, rescued as young kittens from the streets of Berlin. Unfortunately, the presence of small children (sweet little things, but noisy!) quickly scared the cats to the far corners.

Without kitties to pay attention to, I switched my focus to the cafe and enjoyed checking out all the quirky decor as there is quite a bit of it! All of the patrons seemed to be enjoying themselves and the atmosphere was a happy buzz.

The lack of cats was a major bummer as was the tiniest hint of cat odor (humorous considering the cafe’s moniker), but if I had visited on a less busy weekday, this might have been different.

Overall, Pee Pees genial humans, cheerful atmosphere and excellent foodservice made for a pleasant visit which I encourage you to do when in Berlin!

Beeindruckend!: Zur Mieze Katzenmusikcafe

Not only does it make writing the review a pleasure, it more than makes up for the time I spend in the less-than-great places, which luckily, are few and far between.

Zur Mieze, also known as Zur Mieze Katzenmusikcafe has everything going for it– adorable cats, lovely atmosphere, outstanding coffee and caring staff. All of which rank it among the best in the world.

We popped in on a Sunday afternoon and were greeted with a smile by a kind staff member. She apologized while explaining that all the empty tables were reserved, but a couple seated nearby indicated they were just about to leave so we waited outside and took some photos of a white cat in the window while they paid their bill. We truly lucked out!

Inside, we were delighted to discover that the cafe is known for their coffee, specifically five French Press blends, and award-winning cheesecake. We ordered both, plus a hot chocolate and raspberry torte for €15.50 EUR ($18.51 USD). I can confirm everything we consumed was very high quality, especially the coffee which puts Zur Mieze in contention for ‘best cat cafe coffee in the world’.

Order complete, we focused on the cats. Seven fluff balls, all rescues, call the cafe home. The menu contained cat biographies with heartbreaking stories about where they were found, but also uplifting details about their personalities, likes and dislikes. They were an incredibly social bunch, with several cuddling next to patrons (lucky you if Jacky Smoky fancies your lap).

There was a beautiful grand piano in the corner where the weekly concert (hence the katzenmusikcafe name) was set to begin at 5 pm, but never happened due to an issue with the pianist. It didn’t diminish the enjoyment of the afternoon as the cafe itself is beautiful, classy and completely enjoyable– striking a great balance between modern and cozy.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say, Zur Mieze delivers an outstanding experience that won’t leave you disappointed… unless you show up without a reservation. It may only be Sundays near concert time that a booking is needed, but check in advance to ensure you don’t miss out.

A Bit Far, But Close to My Heart: BaristaCats

The day we visited BaristaCats the weather was unusually sunny and warm, which mirrored our experience in this wonderful place.

While the location is quite a ways from the city center, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this beautiful, brand new facility with a cheery and cozy atmosphere, including a spacious outdoor patio that both humans and cats can access.

Speaking of cats, there are six kitties, all rescues, and quite social and playful, even Muffin, a long-haired sweetie who is still getting used to life off the streets and is a bit shy. We particularly enjoyed watching Mateo, an energetic ginger and Mokka, a friendly black cat wrestle each other.

Known for specialty drinks, we ordered a ‘Cold Cat’ ice cream concoction and housemade lemonade for €8.40 ($10.00 USD), both of which were beautiful in presentation and taste. They also serve a variety of snacks and desserts.

The staff are friendly and kind, but more importantly, they are cat lovers who know their charges well and monitor them closely for any signs of distress.

Overall, BaristaCats exceeds expectations in all departments and is well worth the effort to get there. Compared to Pee Pees and Zur Mieze, BaristaCats is somewhat outside the city core, but there are a couple of ways to get there via public transit.

Going there, we chose to take the S5 (S-Bahn) for the great views of the main tourist areas through central Berlin, then made a change at Ostkreuz for the S-75, exited at Hohenschonhausen and then walked the remaining distance, which is just under a mile. For our ride back, we took the M4 tram (Hansastrasse stop) all the way back into town which is more direct and only a quarter mile walk down Malchower from the cafe.

The Neighbor’s Cat is the alter ego of Paula LaBine, an itinerant cat lover who writes about cat cafes, cat travel and rescue/adoption. She is visiting every cat café in the world, 196 in 28 countries so far! Find her at theneighborscat.com or on Facebook/Twitter @catcafeviews.